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@Mrsdawes20
I love the 50's look, but something of which to be aware is sizing. The original patterns, especially those from the 50's, were for a time when women wore foundation garments to pull in the waist and lift up the bust. You will be much better off with reissues and there are plenty of those from the 50's, but fewer from the 40's.
I too like the 50's fashions but with a modern twist. I'm not so keen on those from the 40's but I agree with
@UttaRetch about sizing. Every now and then the big pattern companies completely overhaul their sizes and thus their standard blocks from which they draft their patterns.
I have a wonderful book, picked up for £2 in a second hand bookshop all about pattern sizing, construction and grading publised in 1967 with parts of the text taken from a 1957 HMSO publication about British Standard sizes. I know it's all out of date now but the book is full of tables and charts showing just how much variation in sizes there is amongst the (then) population. Also some wonderful photos of measurements being taken - a reminder of how underwear has changed over the years. Just look how badly fitting some of it is!
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